Package dispenser



Jan. 6, 1953 H. P. COMPTON PACKAGE DISPENSER 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1950 R w m n w a W W. p A |w Hn n m a H Jan. 6, 1953 H. P. COMPTON 2,624,648

PACKAGE DISPENSER y 2] HP 6317272072 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE DISPENSER Henry Purl Compton, Abilene, Tex.

Application December 29, 1950, Serial No. 203,404

2 Claims.

This invention relates to package dispensing machines.

An object of this invention is to provide a d1spenser for dispensing packaged articles such as cigarette packages or the like wherein the packages are delivered after placement of a coin in a coin operated delivery means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package dispensing machine for dispensing packages of various kinds such as various kinds of cigarettes which is so constructed and arranged that a selected kind or type of cigarette may be dispensed by manual selection and manual moving of the selected package to the coin dispensing or delivery member.

A further object of this invention is toprovide a dispensing device of this kind which is of simple construction and is designed particularly for mounting behind a delivery counter for operation by the clerk upon placement of a coin in the coin operated delivery device.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction. disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detailed front elevation partly broken away of a dispensing device.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of either Figures 1 or 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings the numeral I designates generally an upright housing formed of front and rear walls II and I2, a top wall I3, a bottom wall l4, and opposite side walls I and I6. The housing In has disposed in the front wall I I thereof a transparent panel I! which is positioned above a horizontal inner bottom I8 secured within the housing I0. A plurality of vertically disposed partitions l9 extend between the inner bottom I8 and the top wall l3 so as to separate stacks of packages 20 which are positioned between pairs of upright partitions IS. The packages 20 are preferably cigarette packages and a transparent panel 2] is positioned between each pair of partitions I9 so that the particular kind of cigarette packages in each stack may be readily viewed. The inner bottom I8 is provided with an elongated slot or opening 22 positioned beneath each stack of packages 20, and the slot 22 projects from a point rearwardly of a stack of packages to a point spaced forwardly of the inner transparent panel 2|. A longitudinally extending slot or opening 23 is also formed through the inner bottom I8, and the slots 22 and 23 are designed so that a finger may be initially inserted in slot 22 behind a stack of cigarettes so as to push the lowermost package forwardly to a point where the package will substantially contact with the front wall I I and will overlie the longitudinal slot or opening 23. After the package has been pulled forwardly and overlies the longitudinal slot 23, a finger is inserted in slot 23 for engagement with one side of the package for the purpose of moving the package inwardly toward the center of the housing I0. A lower inner wall 24 is secured between the front and rear walls I I and I2, respectively as shown in Figure 4 and is formed with an upwardly curved rear portion 25 so as to guide a hand which is extended through an elongated front opening 26 which is formed in the front wall 25.

The inner bottom I 8 is formed centrally between the side walls I5 and I6 with a depressed channel shaped guide 21 and an upwardly opening receptacle 28 is slidably disposed in the channel 21. The front wall I I is formed with an opening 29 within which the receptacle 28 is adapted to engage when the receptacle 28 is moved forwardly to a package delivery position. A coin operated member 30 of conventional construction is secured to a front wall II and includes an upwardly directed arm 3| which is fixedly secured to the receptacle 28. The arm 3| is slidable in an elongated forwardly extending opening 32 which is formed in the bottom of the channel member 27.

In the use and operation of this device the rear wall l2 which is preferably removable is initially removed so as to fill the spaces between the pairs of partition walls I9 with cigarette packages or other packaged materials.

When it is desired to remove a package from the housing It] a hand is inserted in the lower portion of the housing through the opening 26 and a finger extended into a selected one of the slots or openings 22 beneath a particular stack of packages. The lowermost package is pulled forwardly, and as shown in Figure 4 the transparent inner panel 2i is spaced upwardly from the bottom member IS a distance suificient to prevent the forward movement of more than one package When the package has.

and overlies the opening or slot 23, a finger is inserted in the slot 23 on the outer edge of the package, and the package is then moved inwardly toward the center so that the package may gravitatingly drop into the receptacle or delivery member 28. When the package is in the delivery member 28 a coin may be inserted in the coin actuated means 30, and the pull bar 33 is pulled forwardly so as to move the receptacle or delivery member 28, outwardly throughthe delivery opening 29. The package may then be removed from the receptacle or delivery member 28. A dispensing device as hereinbefore described will provide a means whereby selected ones of diflerent types of packages such as. different ,types or kinds of cigarettes maybe dispensed froma single machine using a single'coin operated delivery means, thereby effecting a substantial reduction in the cost of package dispensing friachines of different types. Whileit is contemd a a a n of th s t p br'ma dbei d m w g l er o b t o nt r lerk this machine mayv also be placed at any point convenient to a' customer for operation by the customer. 7

What is claimed is: I v V E 1. A packagedispensing machine comprising an upright housing, an inner bottom in said housing above the lower end thereof a pluralitynf upright partitionsbetwe'e'n said inner bottom and thetop ofsaid housing, said inner bottom having a forwardly extending slot between each pair of partitions and ,also having an elongated longitudinal' slotdispose'd at; right angles to'said' first named slots, and a delivery receptacle s'lidably 4 carried by said housing at one end of said longitudinal slot and disposed below the plane of said inner bottom wall, said housing having an opening in the front wall thereof whereby a hand may be extended below said inner bottom wall and a finger inserted in one of said slots for moving a package over said bottom wall, to a position above said delivery receptacle.

2. A package dispensing machine comprising a housing formed of front and rear'walls, top and bottom walls and opposite side walls, an inner bottom in said housing above said bottom wall,

upright partitions between said inner bottom and said top wall, said inner bottom having a forwardly projecting slot in said inner bottom between each pair of partitions, said inner bottom having a longitudinal delivery slot at the forward ends of said first named slots and at right angles to the latter, said front wall having a horizontally elongated opening between said bottom wall and said inner bottom' whereby a hand maybe ex.- tended into said housing and a finger inserted in one of said first namedslots for shifting a lower package of a stock fo rwardly to a position overlying said longitudinal slot. v

HENRY PURL COMPTON. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number V Compton June 21, 1949 

